Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to material handling systems and more particularly to devices and methods for transporting rolling racks using a lift truck such as a forklift, pallet jack or a pallet truck.
Background Art
Lift trucks such as pallet trucks, pallet jacks and forklifts are known in the art for moving materials. Such devices generally include a moveable base having one or more arms extending outwardly from the base. The arms are vertically moveable for lifting and lowering materials. When the arms are in a raised position, the base may be moved by an operator, either manually or with the use of a motor, thereby transporting material that is supported by the arms.
One problem associated with conventional forklifts, pallet jacks and pallet trucks is encountered when trying to transport rolling racks. Rolling racks generally include racks or shelves that have roller wheels on the bottom. The wheels allow the racks to be easily moved along the ground. In many applications, such as in a warehouse or in a container truck, it is desirable to move multiple rolling racks at once. Such racks may be empty or may be pre-loaded with other types of materials. It is generally inefficient to roll individual rolling racks over great distances. Others have attempted to load rolling racks on pallets or other types of rack holding platforms for transport using forklifts or pallet trucks. However, rolling racks have a tendency to roll off of such conventional pallets and platforms, complicating the transport process.
What is needed then are improvements in the devices and methods for transporting rolling racks using lift trucks such as forklifts, pallet jacks and pallet trucks.